6 Micro-Goals To Boost Your Finances All Year Long

If you’re already running out of steam for your New Year’s resolutions, check out these tips to get back on track.

Most people give up on their New Year’s resolutions within a few weeks. Instead of setting large, intimidating goals to meet by the end of the year, try building smaller, easier habits every few weeks or months. These micro-goals can help you measure and celebrate small successes that occur frequently, while adding up in a big way over time.

6 Micro-Goals

Save $300 In Three Months

While this may seem like a lot, this goal is more manageable than it appears. If you get paid bi-weekly, then this equates to saving approximately $50 each pay period. Challenge yourself to eat out one or two fewer times a pay period, or review your budget to see if there’s another area you can cut down on.

Alternatively, you can try picking up an easy side gig, such as dog walking. Consider putting your new savings into a Share Certificate to earn more in dividends and encourage yourself to continue saving.

Quit Your Bad Habit

Many common vices, such as smoking or drinking frequently, are expensive to keep up. Quitting, or at least reducing the frequency of these habits, can improve your physical, mental, social, and financial health. Break this goal down into very small time blocks to make it manageable.

Make your goal to stop for one day, and increase the amount of days from there. You could also try decreasing the number of times you partake in your habit – for example, challenge yourself to only eat fast food three times a week – and decrease it as you accomplish each micro-goal.

If you know that you need professional help to quit, a good goal is to sign up for a program to get the support you need.

Learn One New Recipe A Month

Take one evening a month to learn an easy, inexpensive meal. Use your local library to check out fun cookbooks for free, or use Pinterest to search for recipes that cater to any dietary needs.

By cooking at home more often, you can save money by spending less at restaurants and by reducing the amount of food waste at home. Adjust this goal based on your free time and cooking skills – you may want to challenge yourself to a new recipe once a week, or you might need a couple months to learn your way around a stove.

Reduce Your Energy Consumption

This goal consists of a bunch of micro-actions that add up big time. The average household can save $100-$200 a year by unplugging devices when not in use. Try keeping sticky notes near the outlets you use to remind yourself to unplug your appliances. This can include hair dryers, coffee makers, printers, and laptops.

Of course, don’t forget to turn off lights, fans, and heaters when you leave a room. If you struggle to remember to unplug your things, it may be a good idea to invest in timed outlets that turn off automatically.

Take A Resume-Boosting Course

Whether or not you’re planning an upcoming career move, taking a course in a relevant subject to your field will help to strengthen your skills and make you a more valuable employee. This can help contribute to job security and better raises, or it can help you secure a promotion.

Websites such as Coursera and edX offer various courses on subjects like coding, IT security, digital marketing, and other resume-boosting subjects. Online classes are generally self-paced and take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to complete, so you can fit studying in around your day job.

Develop A Low-Cost Hobby

Going out with friends, creating arts and crafts, and many other common pastimes can be expensive. Even something simple like running, which has no upfront cost, can add up over time as you continue to buy new shoes and gear.

Next time you’re bored, consider a new hobby that doesn’t require any money to upkeep. For example, try bird spotting; you can participate in your own backyard, and you can learn about it through library books or a Google search.

Summary

Instead of burning out quickly on one lofty New Year’s resolution, take some inspiration from these micro-goals and try implementing just one of them every three months or so. By the end of the year, you’ll have four financial successes to look back on and celebrate.